Overcompensation doesn’t restore balance; it aggravates imbalance
Suppose we are driving a car and find it steering off-course towards another lane. Alarmed, we move the steering wheel rapidly, and the car starts [...]
Gita 18.24 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 18.24 yat tu kāmepsunā [...]
Temptation buys us on an installment basis
When we buy something on an installment basis, we need to pay only small amounts at a time. By thus manageably dividing a large amount, [...]
Our mind makes us blind intermittently and colorblind incessantly
Our mind can blind us when it gets infatuated by certain desires and can see only the immediate pleasures available through indulgence, not the consequences [...]
Animals have souls – they just don’t have the consciousness to know they have souls
Some people argue that animals don’t have souls; only humans have, because humans alone have the capacity for spiritual enquiry. This argument conflates the existence [...]
Thwart the desires that titillate initially but torment eventually
When worldly desires tempt us, they promise us a lot of pleasure. And contemplating attractive worldly objects does titillate. However, no matter how intoxicating this [...]
Our journey needs to begin where we are, not where we ought to be
Suppose while driving to a destination, we take some wrong turns and end up far away from our goal. We may feel irritated, and understandably [...]
Education is meant to inform and transform our imagination
Imagination is a basic human faculty that is value-neutral; it can be used both negatively or positively. Our education is meant to increase the positive [...]
Ekagrata is not just a state of attentiveness; it is also a level of consciousness
The last verse spoken by Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita (18.72) contains the significant word ekagrata (one-pointed attention). In the verse, Krishna questions Arjuna: “Have you [...]
Seek not just spiritual expression – seek a spiritual expressway
The word ‘spirit’ sometimes signifies a person’s driving essence, as in “he has an untiring spirit.” When we aspire to express our defining core, we [...]
We are not products of our situations; we are products of our decisions
When difficult situations come in our life, we often feel negative emotions such as anger, resentment or self-pity. Though such feelings may be natural, even [...]
Spirituality unleashes our purity and our potency
The Bhagavad-gita’s concluding verse (18.78) depicts an imagery that transcends its battlefield context and highlights the empowering nature of its message. The verse declares that [...]
Devotion increases our self-worth through purification and our social worth through contribution
Some people feel that devotion is too other-worldly, for it seeks only to attain liberation to another world. While spiritual liberation is the ultimate fruit [...]
Worrying is a part of life’s job description, but it is not the whole job
In life, we need to anticipate the things that may go wrong and prepare for them, either by advance planning or on-the-feet thinking. Thus, in [...]
See problems as opportunities to expand our conceptions of the scope of Krishna consciousness
We often think of God as an insurance against problems; if we worship him, he will protect us. However, sometimes amidst problems when such relief [...]
We don’t determine God’s job description – he determines ours
When we approach God, we often have certain expectations: for example, he should protect us and provide for us. If such expectations are not met, [...]
See God’s love not just in relief from problems, but also in relief amidst problems
When we face problems too big for us to manage on our own, we frequently seek divine help. However, the material world by its very [...]
Focus not on life’s specific problems – focus on life’s universal purpose
During life, we all face various specific problems – our health may go down, our relationships may run through rough patches, our workload may become [...]
Jollity that is a mile wide and a millimeter deep is not spirituality
When people hear that spirituality brings the supreme happiness, they may expect spiritual people to be constantly happy. And as their experience of happiness is [...]
Following scripture centers not on legalistic conformity, but on loving reciprocity
When driving through unfamiliar territory, a map guides us. Similarly, during our life-journey, scripture is meant to be our map. But life is much more [...]
Faith is not just certainty – it is also openness to possibility
We often equate faith with certainty, as in, “I am sure that God exists.” Such equalization is valid in terms of ontology – we need [...]